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Utah Tour Bus Crash Kills 4 and Injures Dozens Utah Tour Bus Crash Kills 4 and Injures Dozens
(about 5 hours later)
At least four people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a tour bus crash in rural Utah on Friday afternoon, officials said. At least four people were killed and more than two dozen were injured in a tour bus crash in rural Utah on Friday afternoon, officials said.
The bus was headed east on Route 12 near Bryce Canyon National Park, about 270 miles south of Salt Lake City, when it ran off the road and rolled into the guardrail at about 11:35 a.m., the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.The bus was headed east on Route 12 near Bryce Canyon National Park, about 270 miles south of Salt Lake City, when it ran off the road and rolled into the guardrail at about 11:35 a.m., the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
A total of 31 people, including the driver, were onboard, the Utah Highway Patrol said on Twitter late on Friday night. Officials had initially said there were 30 people on the bus. A total of 31 people, including the driver, were on the bus, the Utah Highway Patrol said on Twitter late on Friday night. Officials had initially said there were 30 people on the bus.
Denise Dastrup, the sheriff office’s public information officer, said 26 patients were being transported to numerous hospitals. Denise Dastrup, the sheriff office’s public information officer, said 26 patients had been transported to hospitals.
Lance Madigan, a spokesman for the local hospital system, Intermountain Healthcare, said its hospitals received 22 patients. Five people were airlifted to other hospitals. The regional hospital system, Intermountain Healthcare, said on Twitter on Saturday that Dixie Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah, had 11 patients: Five were in critical condition and five were in serious condition. One patient had been discharged. At Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, two patients remained in serious condition.
At Garfield Memorial Hospital, three patients were in critical condition, 11 were serious and three were fair, Mr. Madigan said. Information on the conditions of the remaining patients was not immediately available. Other patients who were treated at Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield and at Garfield Memorial Hospital in Panguitch had been discharged by Saturday afternoon, officials said.
Two patients were taken to Kane County Hospital in Kanab, Utah, about 75 miles from the crash scene.
The bus was carrying Chinese-speaking tourists, the Utah Highway Patrol said on Twitter. Its point of origin and destination were not immediately clear, and information about the operator of the bus was not immediately available. The bus was carrying Chinese-speaking tourists, the Utah Highway Patrol said on Twitter. Its point of origin and destination were not immediately clear.
The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a 10-member team to investigate, the agency said on Twitter. The bus was operated by America Shengjia Inc., according to the Utah Department of Transportation. The company, which was incorporated in California in 2015, had no record of crashes or violations, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.
The company in 2017 applied to operate in Utah to transport passengers to and from Salt Lake City International Airport, according to public records.
Bo Wu, who was listed in records as the president of the company, said on Saturday that he was unaware of the crash. Efforts to reach other company officials were unsuccessful.
The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a 10-member team to investigate, the agency said on Twitter on Friday.
Peter Densmore, a spokesman for the Bryce Canyon National Park, said the crash happened about seven miles west of the park’s entrance.Peter Densmore, a spokesman for the Bryce Canyon National Park, said the crash happened about seven miles west of the park’s entrance.
He said Route 12 is a major east-west thoroughfare used by visitors and local residents alike. He described that stretch of road as flat and straight with a speed limit of 65 miles per hour.He said Route 12 is a major east-west thoroughfare used by visitors and local residents alike. He described that stretch of road as flat and straight with a speed limit of 65 miles per hour.
The park, which drew 2.6 million visitors last year, is known for his red-rock scenery, rock spires known as hoodoos and “horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau,” according to its website.The park, which drew 2.6 million visitors last year, is known for his red-rock scenery, rock spires known as hoodoos and “horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau,” according to its website.
Sandra Garcia contributed reporting.